Updated: 12:20 am 

The blaze that shuddered a waste conversion facility in Morrisville Borough has been ruled accidental according to the Borough Fire Marshals  report obtained by Lower Bucks Source on Tuesday.

The one page report issued by Fire Marshal Don Harris about the fire at Ecoremedy, on August 23,  said the cause was “accidental.”

In his report, Harris noted the facility had no fire alarms or sprinkler systems installed at the time of the blaze also.  .

The fire shut down the waste conversion, doing significant damage to the structure, officials said in a press release the day after the blaze..

It also led to the cancellation, by company officials, of a public meeting facilitated by the borough’s municipal authority that was scheduled for September 2.

*Ecoremedy has not yet rendered a decision about its future in Morrisville. We are awaiting completion of the insurance investigation, which is ongoing. Plant operations have been halted for the time being. Ecoremedy has kept the Morrisville Municipal Authority and Department of Environmental Protection apprised of our progress,” said Dave Mooney, Ecoremedy President and Chief Technology Officer.

Ecoremedy did not address the lack of safety systems in their response.

Executive Director of the MMA John Warenda said the MMA is open to still hold a meeting with the company as long as its clear its not the authorities meeting.

“I don’t know, yet, if the public meeting will be rescheduled. We (MMA and Ecoremedy) did have a discussion about whether they still wished to plan and host such a meeting. In that case, MMA expressed a willingness to still facilitate the event, with the understanding that it would not be an “MMA” meeting as (contrary to some public perception, we realize) “MMA is not an advocate – or buffer – for them.”

Warenda said he was made aware of there was no alarm or fire sprinkler systems in the building at the time of the fire.

A review of online court documents dating back to the fire shows the company was not cited for the lack of safety systems in place as of today.

A source who asked to remain anonymous who has a wealth of experience in the field of fire investigations said bluntly, “that’s dangerous.”

Lower Bucks Source asked Morrisville Borough officials for comment on the fire and the investigation into it, as recently as September 5th.

Ecoremedy has a responsibility to make their case with the public just as much as they have to make it with us. We remain interested in utilizing a better sanitary sludge disposal solution, and hoped that the pilot program would prove and provide that process,” Warenda added.

An e-mail sent to Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for comment was not responded to on Wednesday.

Editors Note: Lower Bucks Source was contacted late Wednesday night by officials from Ecoremedy pointing out a response to our request for comment had been sent in. The quote from Dave Mooney, Ecoremedy President and Chief Technology Officer was added to the story at 12:15 am Thursday.

We apologize for unintended omission.